EP2404829B1 - System zur Handhabung von Lebensmittelprodukten - Google Patents

System zur Handhabung von Lebensmittelprodukten Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP2404829B1
EP2404829B1 EP11006933.3A EP11006933A EP2404829B1 EP 2404829 B1 EP2404829 B1 EP 2404829B1 EP 11006933 A EP11006933 A EP 11006933A EP 2404829 B1 EP2404829 B1 EP 2404829B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
conveyor
food product
main conveyor
food products
gripper
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP11006933.3A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2404829A2 (de
EP2404829A3 (de
Inventor
Scott A. Lindee
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Formax Inc
Original Assignee
Formax Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Family has litigation
First worldwide family litigation filed litigation Critical https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=42116151&utm_source=google_patent&utm_medium=platform_link&utm_campaign=public_patent_search&patent=EP2404829(B1) "Global patent litigation dataset” by Darts-ip is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Application filed by Formax Inc filed Critical Formax Inc
Priority to EP19190152.9A priority Critical patent/EP3597548A1/de
Publication of EP2404829A2 publication Critical patent/EP2404829A2/de
Publication of EP2404829A3 publication Critical patent/EP2404829A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2404829B1 publication Critical patent/EP2404829B1/de
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/22—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors
    • B65G47/24—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles
    • B65G47/244—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J17/00—Joints
    • B25J17/02—Wrist joints
    • B25J17/0258—Two-dimensional joints
    • B25J17/0266—Two-dimensional joints comprising more than two actuating or connecting rods
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J9/00—Programme-controlled manipulators
    • B25J9/003—Programme-controlled manipulators having parallel kinematics
    • B25J9/0045—Programme-controlled manipulators having parallel kinematics with kinematics chains having a rotary joint at the base
    • B25J9/0051—Programme-controlled manipulators having parallel kinematics with kinematics chains having a rotary joint at the base with kinematics chains of the type rotary-universal-universal or rotary-spherical-spherical, e.g. Delta type manipulators
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J9/00—Programme-controlled manipulators
    • B25J9/0093—Programme-controlled manipulators co-operating with conveyor means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D5/00—Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D5/007—Control means comprising cameras, vision or image processing systems
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/27—Means for performing other operations combined with cutting
    • B26D7/32—Means for performing other operations combined with cutting for conveying or stacking cut product
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
    • B65B35/02—Supply magazines
    • B65B35/04—Supply magazines with buffer storage devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
    • B65B35/56—Orientating, i.e. changing the attitude of, articles, e.g. of non-uniform cross-section
    • B65B35/58—Turning articles by positively-acting means, e.g. to present labelled portions in uppermost position
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B57/00—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices
    • B65B57/10—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
    • B65B57/14—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/22—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors
    • B65G47/24—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles
    • B65G47/256—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles removing incorrectly orientated articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
    • B65G47/90—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D5/00—Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D5/20—Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting with interrelated action between the cutting member and work feed
    • B26D5/30—Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting with interrelated action between the cutting member and work feed having the cutting member controlled by scanning a record carrier
    • B26D5/34—Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting with interrelated action between the cutting member and work feed having the cutting member controlled by scanning a record carrier scanning being effected by a photosensitive device
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
    • B65B25/06—Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
    • B65B25/065—Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products of meat
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
    • B65B5/06—Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
    • B65B5/068—Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles in trays
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B19/00—Programme-control systems
    • G05B19/02—Programme-control systems electric
    • G05B19/418—Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM]
    • G05B19/41815—Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] characterised by the cooperation between machine tools, manipulators and conveyor or other workpiece supply system, workcell
    • G05B19/4182—Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] characterised by the cooperation between machine tools, manipulators and conveyor or other workpiece supply system, workcell manipulators and conveyor only
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P90/00—Enabling technologies with a potential contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation
    • Y02P90/02—Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T83/00—Cutting
    • Y10T83/04—Processes
    • Y10T83/0448—With subsequent handling [i.e., of product]
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T83/00—Cutting
    • Y10T83/202—With product handling means
    • Y10T83/2022—Initiated by means responsive to product or work
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T83/00—Cutting
    • Y10T83/202—With product handling means
    • Y10T83/2033—Including means to form or hold pile of product pieces
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T83/00—Cutting
    • Y10T83/202—With product handling means
    • Y10T83/2033—Including means to form or hold pile of product pieces
    • Y10T83/2037—In stacked or packed relation
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T83/00—Cutting
    • Y10T83/202—With product handling means
    • Y10T83/2092—Means to move, guide, or permit free fall or flight of product
    • Y10T83/2192—Endless conveyor
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T83/00—Cutting
    • Y10T83/202—With product handling means
    • Y10T83/2092—Means to move, guide, or permit free fall or flight of product
    • Y10T83/2192—Endless conveyor
    • Y10T83/2194—And means to remove product therefrom
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T83/00—Cutting
    • Y10T83/748—With work immobilizer

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a shuttle system for filling packages with food products.
  • Food product machines particularly high speed slicers, produce groups of food products. Those groups may be stacked vertically or may be shingled. Food patty forming machines product food product including formed meat patties. The food products may be conveyed away from the food product machine by a main conveyor. The groups of food products may then be supplied to packaging equipment, such as a fill and package apparatus, in a food product stream to be packaged for shipment. The food products as received from the food product machine may not be in a preferred predefined position or orientation on the conveyor to facilitate optimum or efficient downstream processing, such as packaging.
  • Sliced food products may be formed from a slicer such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,628,237 , 5,974,925 and commercially available as a FX180® slicer machine.
  • the slicer may also be such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 60/999,961 and commercially available as a PowerMax4000TM slicer available from Formax Inc. of Mokena, IL, USA.
  • Formed food products may be made by a patty forming machine such as disclosed in, for example, U.S.
  • a slicer delivers groups of slices or "drafts" onto a conveyor.
  • the drafts are conveyed spaced-apart in a stream to a staging conveyor where the stream is converted to lateral rows of drafts.
  • a staging conveyor is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,149 and commercially available as the A*180 Autoloader from Formax, Inc. of Mokena, IL, U.S.A.
  • the drafts may be placed on the conveyor by the slicing machine in lateral rows of drafts alleviating the need of a staging conveyor.
  • Fill and package apparatus for sliced or formed food products are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,065,936 or 7,328,542 .
  • the patty forming machine delivers a formed food product or a stack of food products onto an output conveyor.
  • a food product forming machine may eject a number of food products on top of one another before the food products are advanced by the output conveyor.
  • a paper interleaving device such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 60/730,304 and commercially available from Formax Inc., may be placed at the output of the food product forming machine to interleave paper between each food product in a food product stack. Whether the food products lay individually or in stacks on the output conveyor, the food products may be arranged in transverse rows.
  • the food product groups must be maintained within close tolerances, particularly as to weight; under-weight groups constitutes a potential fraud on the ultimate users and overweight groups may represent an appreciable loss of revenue to the plant operator.
  • the slicing machines and like food product machines that produce the groups of food products may not always maintain those groups within the preset tolerance limits. This is particularly true when the food product machine first starts in operation and again whenever there is any change in operation, such as a change from one food loaf to another in the operation of a food loaf slicer or a change of bacon slabs in a bacon slicer.
  • accept those food products that are within the preset tolerance, known as "accept" groups, must be transported to a packaging station or other utilization location.
  • a check weight conveyor such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,997,089 and 5,499,719 , and U.S. Patent Application Serial Nos. 60/729,957 , and 11/454,143 , may be used to divert rejected food products to an off-weight stream or food product correction stream or location. When rejected food products are taken out of the main food product stream a food product vacancy is created in the food product stream.
  • the present inventors have recognized that in order to maintain a highly efficient utilization of the packaging equipment and other downstream operations, it is desirable to maintain a food product stream with a reduced number or no food product vacancies. Moreover, the present inventors recognize that it would be desirable to fill such vacancies with substitute or corrected-weight food products from a second location. The present inventors have recognized it would be desirable to fill the vacancies with food products that were diverted from the main food product stream and corrected at a correction station.
  • the present inventors recognize it is advantageous to re-orientate or reposition food products received from a food product machine on a conveyor.
  • the present inventors recognize it would be desirable to provide a device capable of precisely orientating or positioning one or more food products on a moving conveyor.
  • the present inventors recognize that it would be desirable to provide a device capable of precisely orientating or positioning food products on a moving conveyor to facilitate optimum or efficient downstream processing, such as packaging.
  • the present inventor recognizes that it is desirable for a fill and package apparatus to efficiently and economically fills and packs food products into packaging, including both sliced and formed food products.
  • EP 1 935 788 A1 discloses a shuttle system according to the preamble of claim 1. However, it is difficult to run the conventional shuttle system with different operation modes. Further, it is desirable to pick up the food products in a more accurate and more reliable way.
  • the invention includes a shuttle system for packaging.
  • the shuttle system for filling packages with food products includes a main conveyor, a supply of open top containers, an electronic sensor, a controller, a shuttle robot.
  • the main conveyor configured to move food products in a longitudinal direction.
  • the supply of open top containers displaced along a longitudinal direction and movable in the longitudinal direction into a filling station.
  • the electronic sensor is configured to capture location data about one or more food products on the main conveying surface within a sensor range of the sensor.
  • the controller is signal-connected to the electronic sensor and the robot.
  • the controller is configured to receive data captured by the sensor and configured to instruct a shuttle robot to move one or more food products from the main conveyor to a destination position off the main conveyor.
  • the shuttle robot has a working area encompassing at least between a portion of the main conveyor and a portion of the filling station and configured to move food products from the main conveyor to an open top container in the filling station.
  • a downstream portion of the main conveyor is a strip conveyor comprising a plurality of belts, each belt is separated from adjacent belts by a gap.
  • the gaps having a width at least as wide as a gripper arm of the gripper so as to allow a portion of the gripper arms to pass between the belts of the main conveyor and below a conveying surface of the main conveyor.
  • the robot comprises a gripper for holding the food product.
  • the gripper has at least two gripping arms.
  • the gripper has an open position for releasing a food product, and a closed position for holding and transporting a food product.
  • the gripping arms may have lower supports for supporting the bottom of a food product when the grippers are in a closed position.
  • the vacant open top container comprises a plurality of vacant open top containers.
  • the shuttle robot has at least one pickup position at an end of the continuously moving main conveyor, and a plurality of drop positions located above the plurality of respective open top containers in the filling station.
  • the device comprises a rotatable slicing blade, a conveying assembly, and a support for holding a loaf in a cutting path of the rotatable slicing blade, the slicing blade arranged to rotate in the cutting path to slice drafts from the loaf, the drafts being plural slices formed in a pile on the conveying assembly and the piles are transported onto the main conveyor.
  • the device comprises a patty-forming machine, the patty-forming machine having a machine frame, a mold plate having at least one cavity and mounted to reciprocate in a longitudinal direction with respect to the frame to position the cavity between a fill position and patty knock out position, a food product delivery channel for delivering food product into the cavity, the food product delivery channel mounted stationary with respect to the frame and having a fill opening into the cavity when the mold plate is in the fill position, one or more knockout plungers for expelling the formed food product from the mold plate onto an output conveyor when the mold plate is in the knockout position.
  • the open top containers are carried by an elongated web of film and formed as concave depression therein.
  • a sealing station is located downstream of the filling station, the sealing station for applying a cover to the open top containers.
  • the device has a container-forming station for forming the open top containers.
  • the shuttle robot is for filling one or more open top containers from a group of succeeding open top containers while the succeeding group of open top containers are advanced into the filling station.
  • the invention comprises a method of filling open top containers with food products. The steps of this method are already described above with regard to the system according to the invention.
  • a system according to the invention includes a slicing machine 20 which cuts slices from one or more loaves and deposits the slices on an output conveyor assembly 30, forming shingled or stacked drafts, or food products.
  • the drafts can be piles, bunches or groups of thin sliced product.
  • the slicing machine 20 can be of a type as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,649,463 ; 5,704,265 ; and 5,974,925 ; as well as patent publications EP0713753 and WO99/08844 .
  • the slicing machine 20 can also be a FORMAX FX180 machine, commercially available from Formax, Inc. of Mokena, Ill., U.S.A.
  • the output conveyor assembly 30 includes a check weight conveyor 32, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,997,089 and 5,499,719 , and U.S. Patent Application Serial Nos. 60/729,957 , and 11/454,143 , wherein unacceptable drafts can be rejected and diverted.
  • the conveyor assembly 30 includes an optical grading system 70, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,997,089 .
  • the conveyor assembly 30 comprises a classifying conveyor 42 as shown in Fig. 1A .
  • the weighing conveyor 32, and the optical grading system 70, and the classifying conveyor 42 are located upstream of a main conveyor 120 and an alignment robot 200.
  • An off-weight conveyor 220 is at least partially adjacent to the main conveyor 120 as shown in fig. 2 .
  • the off-weight conveyor 220 connects to a weight correction station 228.
  • the weight correction station 228 connects to a parking station 230.
  • the system comprises an alignment and orientation camera or sensor 210 that has a sensor range area 212 focused on an area upstream and / or within a working diameter or area 209 of an alignment robot 200.
  • the alignment robot is located above the main conveyor 120.
  • a shuttle robot 100 is located above or adjacent to a downstream end portion of the main conveyor 120 and a fill station 110 and has a shuttle working diameter or area 410 .
  • a shuttle camera or sensor 420 having at least one sensor range 430 focused on a downstream end of the main conveyor.
  • a packaging machine 60 such as a Multivac R530, available from Multivac, Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., U.S.A., is located below the main conveyor 120.
  • the system comprises a staging conveyor located between the machine 20 and the robot 200. Drafts are conveyed spaced-apart in a stream to a staging conveyor where the stream is converted to lateral rows of drafts.
  • a staging conveyor is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,149 and is commercially available as the A*180 Autoloader from Formax, Inc. of Mokena, Ill., U.S.A.
  • the drafts may be placed on the conveyor by the slicing machine in lateral rows of drafts alleviating the need of a staging conveyor.
  • the shuttle robot 100 delivers food products from an upstream main conveyor 120 into containers 131.
  • the containers 131 may be formed in a group of rows of pockets 131 formed in a lower web 133 of film by the packaging machine 60.
  • the containers or pockets 131 that are filled with food product, are sealed by an upper web of film in the sealing station 170.
  • the machine 20 may also be a food product forming machine such as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent Number 3,952,478 ; 4,054 , 967 ; 4,182,003 ; and 4,329,828 , and PCT published applications WO 99/62344 , and WO 2005/02766782 A2 .
  • the food product forming machine delivers a formed food product or a stack of food products onto an output conveyor 30. Therefore the shingled or stacked drafts 150 may also be formed food products 150, both of which may be referred to as food products 150.
  • the formed food product 150a may be such as those shown in fig. 6 or may be of another formed shape. Whether the food products 150 lay individually or in stacks on the conveyor 30, the food products may be arranged in rows transverse to the conveying direction.
  • a controller 180 such as an electronic circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a microprocessor, a CPU, computer, or other control device, is signal-connected to the shuttle robot 100, the alignment robot, the packing machine 60, the machine 20, a sensor or camera 210, the sealing station 170, and at least one of a vacancy detector 214a and vacancy detector 214b.
  • PLC programmable logic controller
  • the controller may comprise a datastore being a electronic or computer hardware or software memory or harddrive containing predefined values, such as food product orientation values, food product longitudinal position values, food product lateral position values, transverse centerline value representing a transverse position on which selected food products are to be aligned, longitudinal centerline values representing a longitudinal position on which the food products are to be aligned, food product position values. These values may be userdefined or predefined for various types of food products.
  • the controller an instruction storage area for storing preprogrammed, user defined, or other instructions that the controller uses to process and/analyze the data according to machine operation programming.
  • Figs. 2 , 6 , and 7 show the off-weight conveyor 220 comprises an adjacent longitudinal portion 222, a downstream end portion 224, and an upstream end portion 226.
  • the off weight conveyor 200 is connected to a correction station 228, which may be a weight correction station.
  • the weight correction station 229 is connected to a food product parking station 230.
  • the longitudinal portion 222 is adjacent and parallel to the main conveyor 120.
  • the weight correction station 228 and the parking station 230 are adjacent and parallel to the main conveyor 120 on a side of the conveyor 120 opposite the longitudinal portion 222.
  • the parking station is downstream 230 from the weight correction station 228.
  • the correction station 228 is connected to the longitudinal portion 222 by the upstream end portion 226.
  • the upstream end portion 226 curves from its connection point with the longitudinal portion to be positioned perpendicularly to the conveying direction.
  • the upstream end portion extends under the main conveyor 120 and curves to connect with the correction station 228.
  • the upstream end portion 226 forms a U shape as it extends under the main conveyor.
  • portions of the off-weight conveyor 220 may not curve to connect to one another, but rather may connect at an angle including a right angle.
  • the upstream end portion 226 may cross the main conveyor 120 non-perpendicularly. Moreover, the upstream end portion may cross above the main conveyor 120.
  • the downstream end portion 240 is located between a pickup location 140 at a downstream end of the main conveyor 120 and the fill station 110 ( fig. 1 ).
  • the downstream end portion connects to the longitudinal portion 222 and curves from its connection point with the longitudinal portion to be positioned perpendicularly with the conveying direction.
  • the downstream end portion 224 is vertically positioned below a conveying surface of the main conveyor 120 and above the filling station 110, as best shown in fig. 4 .
  • the downstream end portion 224 is vertically positioned co-planer with the conveying surface.
  • the downstream end portion 224 may be positioned non-perpendicularly with respect to the conveying direction.
  • Fig. 1 shows an alignment robot 200 downstream from the food product machine 20 and the output conveyor 30.
  • the camera or sensor 210 is upstream of the alignment robot 200.
  • the sensor range area 212 of the sensor or camera 210 is focused on an area upstream and or within the working diameter or area 209 of an alignment robot 200.
  • the camera 210 and the alignment robot are signal-connected to a controller 180.
  • the alignment robot 200 may be a picker robot or a delta robot, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,188,544 , 6,577,093 , and U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0182602 .
  • a device of the basic delta robot concept is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,976,582 .
  • the alignment robot 200 may be a four arm picker/delta robot such as the QuattroTM 650 robot manufactured by Adept Technologies Inc. having its corporate headquarters located in Livermore, California in 2008.
  • the alignment robot 200 is located above the main conveyor 120 and the off weight conveyor 220.
  • the robot has a base 205.
  • Four motors are mounted in the base 205 and move four first arms 201, 202, 203, 204.
  • a pair of pull rods are pivotably attached to each first arm.
  • Pull rods 202a and 202b connect to first arm 202; pull rods 204a and 204b connect to first arm 204; pull rods 201a and 201b (not shown) connect to first arm 201; pull rods 203a (not shown) and 203b connect to first arm 203.
  • Each pair of pull rods pivotably connect to a movable plate 206.
  • the first arms, the connector arms and the movable plate comprise an arm system 208 of the robot.
  • a gripper 160 such the one shown in figure 5 , may be attached to the movable plate 206 for gripping and moving a food product.
  • the robot can be placed in a frame construction (not shown) above the conveyor 120.
  • the arm system 208 is able to rotate with at least three degrees of freedom in Cartesian X, Y and Z directions.
  • the robot 200 has the working area or diameter 209 ( figs. 2 , 6 , 7 ) of 1300 mm along the Cartesian x and y axes.
  • the robot 200 has a working height, in the vertical direction or the Cartesian z axis, in the range of 250 mm to 500 mm.
  • the robot has the ability to rotate the movable plate 206 one hundred and eighty degrees in one direction and one hundred and eighty degrees in the opposite direction.
  • the robot has a maximum linear movement speed of 10 meters per second and a rate of acceleration of 150 meters per second squared.
  • the alignment and orientation sensor or camera 210 is located upstream of the alignment robot 200 and downstream of the output conveyor assembly 30. Regardless of where the camera 210 is located, the sensor range area 212 of the camera 210 is focused on an area upstream and/or within the working diameter or area 209 of an alignment robot 200.
  • the camera 210 is signal-connected to the controller 180.
  • the camera 210 is mounted on a support structure (not shown) above or adjacent to the conveyor 120.
  • the camera 210 and controller 180 comprises a vision system.
  • the camera 210 is that described in U.S. Patent No. 6,997,089 .
  • the vision system is controlled by the controller 180.
  • the controller 180 may be an electronic circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a microprocessor, a CPU or other control device.
  • PLC programmable logic controller
  • the camera 210 and the controller 180 may comprise a single unit.
  • the camera 210 is an ELECTRIM EDC-1000N black and white 640 X 480 pixel digital camera 34 with a 4.8 mm lens.
  • the controller 180 includes a digital frame grabber PC-104 printed circuit board, and a PC-104 CPU main processor board.
  • the vision system may also include a light source to provide illumination of the food product 150.
  • the camera 210 scans each food product 150 or each row of food products 151 as they pass under the camera 210 on the conveyor 120 and within the sensor range area 212.
  • the camera sends data to controller 180 concerning various characteristics of the food product 150, including food product position, orientation, and alignment on the conveyor 120.
  • the controller 180 has instructions for analyzing the data.
  • the controller 180 When the controller executes instructions to determine a particular food product or stack of food products is not in a predefined preferred orientation, the controller 180 will send re-orientation instructions to the robot 200. When misorientated food product 150 is within the working diameter 209, the robot will move the food product to the preferred position and orientation according to the re-orientation instructions from the controller 180.
  • food product 150a is misorientated within food product row 151a.
  • the controller 180 receives position, orientation, and alignment data or information about food product 150a from the camera 210. While or before the food product reaches the working diameter 209, the controller executes analyzing instructions comparing location and orientation values received from the camera to predefined location and orientation values. If a particular food product is determined by the controller to be mis-positioned or misorientated, the controller sends instructions to the robot to move food product 150a into a predefined proper or preferred orientation and/or orientation.
  • the robot When food product 150a reaches the working diameter 209 of the robot 200, the robot carries out the instruction and moves and re-orientates the food product so that is it in proper orientation and alignment as shown by food products 150b and 150c. Food products 150b and 150c represent food product 150a after it is reorientated by the robot and conveyed downstream at various points downstream.
  • the food products of row 151c are misaligned longitudinally and transversely with the conveying direction and they are also misorientated.
  • the camera 210 will have obtained position data about each food product at or upstream of the working diameter 209 of the robot 200.
  • the controller will instruct the robot 200 to move food product 150d along the y axis toward the edge of the conveyor 180, rotating it slightly to be square with a plane defined by the conveyor edge.
  • the controller will instruct the robot 200 to move food product 150f downstream in the X direction relative to the row 151c.
  • the controller will instruct the robot 200 to re-orientate food product 150g to be square with the plane defined by the conveyor 120 edge.
  • the robot will carry out these instructions making the appropriate movement of the food products while the food products are within the working diameter 209 so food product row 151c is aligned and orientated as shown by food product row 151h after the robot carries out the instructions from the controller 180.
  • the controller is able to instruct the robot 200, and the robot is able to carry out any repositioning instructions while the conveyor 120 is in continuous motion.
  • the controller will analyze data from the sensor comprising a row width for food products positioned therein and defining the scope of food products to be considered as within a given row.
  • the row width is a predefined area within which food products are to be aligned on a predefined row alignment within a predefined row.
  • the controller 180 may be programmed to provide orientation or alignment instructions for food products or food product rows according to any user defined or pre-defined orientation or alignment on the conveyor 120.
  • the camera 210 will detect when a stack of food products 150 is not properly stacked or aligned in the vertical direction along the Cartesian Z axis ( fig. 1 ).
  • the controller 180 will instruct the robot to correct the vertical mis-alignment, for example, by straightening the stack with the arms 161 ( fig. 5A ) of the gripper 160, when the robot has the gripper 160, such as shown in fig. 5A , attached to the movable plate 206.
  • the robot may also align by moving individual food product of a food product stack to bring the food product stack into the preferred vertical alignment.
  • the camera 210 will detect and the controller will determine when a food product / food product stack is not correctable by the alignment robot 200.
  • An uncorrectable food product is when a food product 150 or a stack of food products is misaligned or misorientated to the extent that the robot 200 cannot bring the food product or the stack of food products into the predefined preferred alignment or predefined preferred orientation.
  • the controller will not instruct the robot 200 to correct the food product.
  • the uncorrectable food product will travel to a downstream end 122 ( figs. 6 , 7 ) of the main conveyor 120.
  • the controller will not instruct the shuttle robot 100 to pick up the uncorrectable food product or stack or will affirmatively instruct the robot not to pick up the uncorrectable food product.
  • the uncorrectable food product or stack will fall onto the downstream end 224 of the off-weight conveyor 220.
  • the controller may instruct the shuttle robot 100 to pick up the uncorrectable food product and place it on the downstream end 224 of the off-weight conveyor 220.
  • the off-weight conveyor 220 will convey the robot-uncorrectable food product to the off-weight station 228 where it will be corrected by a human 229 or another robot, or it will be discarded or recycled.
  • the food product may be added or subtracted to bring the food product or food product stack to a predefined weight or a predefined weight range.
  • the food product may also be restacked, aligned or orientated at the off-weight station 228.
  • the corrected food product is moved to the parking station 230.
  • the output conveyor 30 includes a classifier conveyor system 40, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,719 .
  • a classifier conveyor 42 is selectively pivoted by an actuator 44, by signal from the controller 180, to deliver food products alternately to the off-weight conveyor 220 or the main conveyor 120.
  • the actuator 44 can be a pneumatic cylinder with an extendable/retractable rod 46 connected to the classifier conveyor 42.
  • the weighing conveyor 32 is located upstream of the classifying conveyor 42.
  • the weighing conveyor 32 signals to the controller 180 the weight of each food product or food product stack that passes over the weighing conveyor 32.
  • the controller 180 determines that a particular food product or food product stack is not within a pre-defined weight range or a specific pre-defined weight
  • the controller 180 signals to the classifying conveyor 42 to lower the classifying conveyor to a reject position 42b.
  • the reject position 42b the classifying conveyor connects to the upstream end portion 226 of the off-weight conveyor 220.
  • the off-weight food product is then carried by the off-weight conveyor 200 to the weight correction station 228.
  • the classifying conveyor 42 is in a raised accept position 42a, it connects with the main conveyor 120.
  • the off-weight conveyor 220 will convey the off-weight food product to the off-weight station 228 where it will be corrected by a human 229 or another robot; it will be discarded or recycled.
  • food product slices may be added or subtracted to bring the food product or food product stack to a predefined weight or a predefined weight range.
  • the food product may also be restacked, aligned or orientated at the off-weight station 228.
  • the corrected food product is then moved to the parking station 230.
  • the output conveyor 30 comprises an optical grading system 70, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 6,997,089 .
  • Fig. 1B illustrates the optical grading system 70 which captures the image of the slice passing on the weighing conveyor 32.
  • the controller 180 triggers the system 70 to capture the slice image.
  • the system 70 will capture an image of the top of the slice on top of the stack 150 or, in the case of a single slice, the top of the slice.
  • the optical grading camera 34 captures the slice image within an image field of vision 49 pixel-by-pixel. The shutter speed of the camera is fast enough to capture the image while the slice or stack is in motion. The image is then retrieved from the digital frame grabber printed circuit board into the memory of the system 70 or of the controller 180.
  • the software can then perform various analyses on the digital image data.
  • the software may be contained in the system 70, or in the CPU 12, or in the controller 180.
  • the slice perimeter or boundary dimensions are determined due to the brightness or color contrast between the slice and the weigh scale belting on which the slice is transferred.
  • a grayscale analysis, pixel-by-pixel, can be undertaken by the software, wherein black is 0 and white is 255.
  • An experimentally determined grayscale cutoff point between fat pixels (light) and lean pixels (dark) can be used to characterize each pixel as being fat or lean.
  • the ratio of light pixels (fat) to dark pixels (lean) within the slice boundary is then calculated, as representative of a fat-to-lean ratio.
  • local areas constituting "flaws" in the slice can be quantified in size, by calculating and summing adjacent non-lean pixels, and then compared to a flaw tolerance or limit.
  • a flaw can be a fat deposit, a gland, muscle or bone piece, a void, or other undesirable bit.
  • the calculations and routines utilized to capture and evaluate slice image data can be as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,136,504 ; 4,226,540 and/or 4,413,279 .
  • the mathematical analysis of pixel data can be as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,168 .
  • the data is calculated and compared to predetermined standards or customer programmable standards regarding overall fat content and flaw size and/or quantity limits.
  • a calculation is made to determine whether the slice is to be classified as a "pass", that is, being below stringent fat content or flaw limits, or "reject”, that is being above acceptable fat content or flaw limits, or “grade-off”, that is being below acceptable fat content or flaw limits but above stringent fat content or flaw limits.
  • the slice is determined to be a grade reject if the fat-to-lean ratio is greater than the allowable tolerance, or if the slice includes a flaw, or a pre-selected number of flaws, greater in size, individually and/or in the aggregate, than an allowable tolerance.
  • These tolerances can be adjustable and determined by the user, typically as a plant standard.
  • each slice need not the scanned, rather, the top of each stack can be scanned to determine a fat-to-lean ratio, and the presence of flaws, after the stack has been cut and stacked from the loaf.
  • the condition of the top slice, being cut from the loaf in the close vicinity of the remaining slices in the stack, is an accurate representation of the condition of all the slices in the stack.
  • the top slice of one stack is almost an exact representation of the bottom slice of the following stack. It may be advantageous to remember this image of the top slice of a stack and "flag" it as also representing the bottom of the next stack to pass below the camera. Combined with the next following image, the actual top of the stack, it can be accurately estimated, by evaluating the bottom and top slices of the stack, whether the entire stack meets the quality criteria. According to this procedure, it is not necessary to image each and every slice in the stack or draft to accurately characterize the quality of the stack.
  • the stack can then be characterized as a grade reject, grade off or acceptable stack based on the characteristics of one slice of the stack or based on the characteristics of the top and bottom slices of the stack.
  • the classifier conveyor 42 will be pivoted by the actuator 44, by signal from the controller 180 to put the classifier conveyor in a reject position 42b.
  • the reject position will direct the slice or stack of slices onto the off-weight conveyor 220. All out-of-weight tolerance slices or groups of slices, regardless of their visual acceptance, can be placed on the off-weight conveyor 220. Products placed on the off-weight conveyor are moved to the correction station 228, where they may be corrected by weight, orientation, or position, or they may be removed from the station 228 for disposal or recycling. If the operator 229 or other machine of the correction station 228 corrects the food product then is it optionally moved to the parking station 230.
  • the system has a vacancy reduction device or system that includes the alignment robot 200 also serving as a vacancy filling robot.
  • the classifier conveyor 42 diverts a food product to the off-weight conveyor 230 a vacancy is created in the food product stream on the conveyor 120.
  • An example vacancy is shown in food product row 151c in figs. 6 and 7 .
  • the camera or vacancy detector 210 will signal to the controller 180 that a vacancy exists in a particular location on the conveyor. Such a vacancy is shown by the absence of at least one food product as shown in food product row 151c in fig. 6 and food product row 151d in fig. 7 .
  • a parking station sensor or food product detector 214a will signal to the controller when a food product is parked at the parking station 230.
  • the vacancy detector 214a may be located adjacent to the parking station 230 or underneath (not shown) the parking station surface.
  • the vacancy detector may be a sensor or camera 214b ( fig. 1 ), such as the type of camera 210 described above, mounted to focus the sensor range area 214c on the parking station.
  • the parking station sensor sends a signal to the controller 180 indicating the number of food products or food product stacks parked at the parking station 230.
  • the controller will instruct the robot to take a food product from a position on the parking station to fill a vacancy, if there is a food product available at the parking station when the vacancy is in the working diameter 209 of the robot. If the product was removed from the parking station the parking station will advance another available food product to fill the vacancy created by removal of the food product that filled the vacancy on the main conveyor 120. In one aspect of the embodiment, if the food product was parked in the first position 231 then a conveying surface of the parking station will advance the next food product to the first position in the parking station. If there are no products in the parking station, the parking station conveying surface may stop advancing while the entire parking station is empty.
  • the controller is able to fill any vacancy in the food product stream, regardless of how it was created as long as it was created before the vacancy area advances out of the sensor area range 212 of the conveyor 120.
  • the shuttle sensor or camera 420 is at the end of the main conveyor. Regardless of where the camera 420 is located, the shuttle sensor 420 has at least one sensor range 430, as shown in fig. 7 .
  • the sensor range 430 comprises an end portion of the main conveyor.
  • the sensor range 430 may include the width of the main conveyor 120.
  • the sensor 420 has a second sensor range 434 that comprises at least a portion 432 of the packing station 110.
  • the second sensor range 434 may encompass the shuttle working area 410.
  • the sensor 420 detects food products, such as those shown in food product row 151h in fig. 7 .
  • the camera 420 is mounted on a support structure (not shown) above or adjacent to the downstream end 224 of the main conveyor 120.
  • the camera 410 and controller 180 comprises a second vision system.
  • the vision system of the camera 210 and the controller 180 may comprise the second vision system.
  • the camera 410 is that described in U.S. Patent No. 6,997,089 .
  • the vision system is controlled by the controller 180.
  • the controller 180 may be an electronic circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a microprocessor, a CPU or other control device.
  • the camera 420 and the controller 180 may comprise a single unit.
  • the camera 420 is an ELECTRIM EDC-1000N black and white 640 X 480 pixel digital camera 34 with a 4.8 mm lens.
  • the controller 180 includes a digital frame grabber PC-104 printed circuit board, and a PC-104 CPU main processor board.
  • the vision system may also include a light source to provide illumination of the food product 150.
  • Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the shuttle robot 100 of the system.
  • the main or upstream conveyor 120 delivers food products 150 to the packing station 110.
  • the conveyor 120 may operate in a state of continuous motion.
  • the food products 150 may be delivered in rows 151 where the number of food products 150 in the rows 151 correspond to the number of pockets or containers 131 in a row of containers 132.
  • the shuttle robot 100 may be suspended above or located adjacent to the filling station 110 by a structure (not shown), so that the robot gripper 160 operates at least over the filling station and a downstream portion of the main conveyor 120.
  • the filling station 110 is adjacent to the main conveyor 120.
  • the shuttle robot has a range of motion covering Cartesian X, Y and Z directions such that the robot may move transversely and longitudinally with respect to the conveying direction and also vertically.
  • the shuttle robot operates in the shuttle working area 410.
  • the shuttle robot comprises a gripper 160 at a bottom of the shuttle robot 100.
  • the shuttle robot 100 is a six-axis robot having six degrees of freedom, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,901,613 .
  • a device of the basic six-axis robot concept is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,773,813 .
  • the shuttle robot 100 may be a six-axis robot such as one of the ViperTM s650, s850, s1300, or s1700 robots manufactured by Adept Technologies Inc. having its corporate headquarters located in Livermore, California in 2008.
  • the shuttle robot may be another type of robot having a working range in the Cartesian X, Y and Z directions.
  • the robot 100 has a maximum payload in the range of 5 kg to 20 kg, a reach in the range of 653 mm to 1717 mm, and a repeatability rating in the range of plus or minus 0.020 mm to plus or minus 0.070 mm.
  • the robot has a joint range of motion for each joint as follows: joint 1 ⁇ 180°, joint 2 -200°, +65°, joint 3 +35°, +190°, joint 4 ⁇ 200°, joint 5 ⁇ 140°, joint 6 ⁇ 360°.
  • the gripper 160 has a plurality of first arms 161a-f, and a corresponding plurality of oppositely facing second arms 162a-f.
  • the first arms are connected together along or formed into a horizontal arm connection shaft 301.
  • the second arms 162a-f are connected together along or formed into a horizontal arm connection shaft (not shown).
  • the arms move between an open position 165b and a closed or holding position 165a.
  • Each arm may have a lower support 169a-f, 167a-f for supporting a bottom of a food product.
  • Each arm is connected at a pivot point 168 to a horizontal arm 168a. The pivot point may lie on the horizontal arm connection shaft.
  • Each horizontal arm is connected to a position plate 166.
  • the position plate 166 moves vertically by a pin 163 between a raised position 166a and a lowered position 166b by a solenoid 160a operatively connected to the pin 163.
  • the vertical movement of the position plate 166 causes each arm 161 to pivot about the pivot point 168.
  • the arms 161 are in the closed position 165a when the position plate 166 is in the raised position 166a, and the arms 161 are in an open position 166b when the position plate is in a lowered position 166b.
  • the gripper 160 is connected to a cross plate 340 by a plurality of bolts 344 (not shown in fig. 5A ).
  • the cross plate 340 is capable of supporting more than one gripper, such as gripper 310.
  • Gripper 310 is constructed and operates in the same manner as gripper 160.
  • the cross plate connects to the shuttle robot 100 at a connection location 342 with a plurality of bolts 344, 346.
  • the packaging machine 60 When the containers are pockets 131 formed from a web 133, the packaging machine 60 has a dwell period. At the dwell period, the packaging machine 60 stops the motion of the lower web 133. During the dwell period, the packaging machine 60 forms another group of empty pockets 131 upstream from the packing station 110 at a container-forming station 190. The container forming station 190 is shown schematically in Fig. 4 . After the dwell time period is over, the lower web of film 133 is advanced and new food products are deposited into new containers 131 as or after the lower web 133 advances to a new dwell position.
  • the shuttle robot 100 has at least one pickup location 140 at an end of the main conveyor 120 and at least one deposit position located 144 above a container 131 in the filling station 110.
  • the shuttle robot 100 may have a plurality of deposit positions located above a plurality of containers 131a in the filling station 110.
  • the filling station 110 may hold any number of containers for filling.
  • Fig. 4 shows a filling station having four containers 131 or four rows of containers.
  • the robot 100 moves between the pickup position(s) and the deposit positions to move food products from the main conveyor 120 to the containers 131, 131a.
  • the shuttle sensor 420 detects food products on a downstream end of the main conveyor within the sensor range 430 or second sensor range 434.
  • the shuttle sensor sends information to the controller regarding the location of food products within the senor range.
  • the controller determines whether and at what point the food products within the sensor range should be picked up and moved to the packaging station or the off weight conveyor by the shuttle robot.
  • the controller instructs the robot to pickup one or more food products from the main conveyor at a location based on the location information received from the shuttle sensor.
  • the sensor detects which containers 131 in the packaging station are filled with food product and which are not filled with food product and sends that packaging fill information to the controller.
  • the controller may instruct the robot to move food products from the main conveyor to the empty or incompletely filled containers in the packaging station based on the packaging fill information from the sensor.
  • the gripper 160 of the shuttle robot 100 grips a food product or stack of food products at the pickup location 140 on the main conveyor 120.
  • the shuttle robot may approach the pickup location 140 in an open position as shown at 141.
  • the shuttle robot 100 surrounds the food product 150a with the gripper 160 at the pickup location and moves the arms 161 of the gripper to a closed position.
  • the conveyor 120 may be in continuous movement during this time such that the pickup location 140 and the shuttle robot 100 are in continuous motion tracking the location of the food product 150a.
  • the shuttle robot then moves the food product continuously or intermittently through a plurality of intermediate locations 143 to a particular deposit location 144 located above a container 131.
  • the container 131 may be empty or may be incomplete.
  • the gripper 160 will move to an open position releasing the food product to fall into the container 131.
  • the main conveyor 120 is a strip or o-ring belt conveyor.
  • a strip conveyor has a conveying surface having multiple belts or strips 330, 332, 334, 336 with gaps 331, 333, 335 provided between the belts.
  • the belts are driven to rotate by a drive shaft 321 and operate around an idler shaft (not shown) opposite the drive shaft.
  • the gaps between the belts of the strip conveyor are such that the food products 151, 151a being conveyed do not fall between the gaps.
  • the strip conveyor is in continuous movement as the gripper approaches one or more target food products on the strip conveyor. The gripper is in or is moved to an open position.
  • the gripper tracks the movement of the food product(s) on the conveyor as the gripper lowers around the food product(s).
  • the shuttle robot lowers the lower supports 169a-f, 167a-f of the arms 161a-f, 162a-f of the gripper 160 into the gaps of the strip conveyer below the conveying surface.
  • the arms of the gripper are then closed bringing the lower supports 169a-f, 167a-f under the food products 151, 151a.
  • the shuttle robot 100 then lifts the food product off the strip conveyor by bringing the lower supports 169a-f, 167a-f above the conveying surface and moves the food product towards destination packaging.
  • the shuttle robot may move food product to a container 101 while the container is moving into the packing station 110.
  • the shuttle robot may move and track the position of a container 131 and release a food product into the container while the container is moving into the packing station and before it is stationary during the dwell period. Loading food products into the containers 131 during the advance time period is a time efficient way to load the pockets.
  • the group of containers in the packing station is advanced downstream to a sealing station 170.
  • Containers 131 in the sealing location are sealed closed by the application of an upper web of film.
  • the controller 180 synchronizes movement of the shuttle robot with the movement of the containers 131 and the conveyor 120 when needed.
  • the shuttle robot may fill the containers in any order, including filling the container closest to the main conveyor 120 first and filling containers progressively toward the container located within the fill station and furthest from the main conveyor.
  • the shuttle robot may fill the containers in reverse, wherein the first filled row of containers is the row furthest upstream in the direction D ( Fig. 1 ), and the shuttle robot advances to fill the second row, then advances again to fill the third row, etc.
  • the containers 131 advance and an empty new group of containers 131 is moved into the fill station 110.
  • the gripper is configured to grip one food product or one stack of food products.
  • the shuttle robot has a gripper that is a row gripper capable of gripping more than one food product or an entire transverse row of food products and moving those food products to fill a transverse row of containers 131 in the fill station.
  • the row gripper has multiple corresponding pairs of gripping arms for gripping each food product of a row individually. This allows individual food products to be selectively gripped.
  • the row gripper is capable of moving less than an entire transverse row of food products by selectively gripping the food products. This may be desirable if one or more of the food products of a food product row is uncorrectable or otherwise unsatisfactory for packing in one or more aspects, such as weight, form, or visual presentation.
  • the row gripper is capable of gripping a longitudinal row or column of two or more food products to move and fill a longitudinal row of containers in the fill station.
  • the row gripper has multiple corresponding pairs of gripping arms for gripping each food product of a longitudinal row individually. This allows individual food products to be selectively gripped.
  • the row gripper is capable of moving less than a longitudinal row of food products by selectively gripping the food products.
  • the shuttle robot may comprise multiple shuttle robots for gripping and moving food products between the main conveyor and the packing station.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Robotics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Forests & Forestry (AREA)
  • Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition (AREA)
  • Manipulator (AREA)
  • Specific Conveyance Elements (AREA)
  • Container Filling Or Packaging Operations (AREA)
  • Control Of Conveyors (AREA)

Claims (14)

  1. Shuttle-System zum Befüllen von Verpackungen mit Nahrungsmittelprodukten (150), umfassend:
    a) einen Hauptförderer (120), der die Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) in einer Längsrichtung bewegt;
    b) eine Füllstation (110);
    c) eine Zuführung von oben offenen Behältern (131), die entlang der Längsrichtung verschoben und in Längsrichtung in die Füllstation (110) beweglich sind; und
    d) einen elektronischen Sensor (420), der konfiguriert ist, um Positionsdaten über ein oder mehrere Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) auf der Haupttransportfläche des Hauptförderers (120) in einem Sensorbereich (430) des Sensors (420) zu erfassen;
    e) einen Shuttle-Roboter (100), der einen Greifer (160) zum Halten der Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) umfasst und einen Arbeitsbereich (410) aufweist, der mindestens einen Abschnitt des Hauptförderers (120) und einen Abschnitt der Füllstation (110) umfasst und konfiguriert ist, um Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) von dem Hauptförderer (120) zu einem oben offenen Behälter (131) in der Füllstation (110) zu bewegen,
    f) wobei der Shuttle-Roboter (100) angepasst ist, um ein oder mehrere Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) in Längsrichtung von dem Hauptförderer (120) zu einer Zielposition abseits des Hauptförderers (120) zu bewegen, um die Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) in die oben offenen Behälter (131) zu verpacken;
    g) eine Steuerung (180), die mit dem elektronischen Sensor (420) und dem Shuttle-Roboter (100) verbunden ist und konfiguriert ist, um von dem Sensor (420) erfasste Daten zu empfangen, und die konfiguriert ist, um den Shuttle-Roboter (100) anzuweisen, ein oder mehrere Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) von dem Hauptförderer (120) in eine Zielposition abseits des Hauptförderers (120) zu bewegen;
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
    h) ein stromabwärtiger Abschnitt des Hauptförderers (120) ein Streifenförderer ist, der eine Vielzahl von Bändern (330, 332, 334, 336) umfasst, wobei jedes Band (330, 332, 334, 336) durch einen Spalt (331, 333, 335) von benachbarten Bändern getrennt ist; die Spalte (331, 333, 335) eine Breite aufweisen, die mindestens so breit ist wie ein Greiferarm des Greifers (160), so dass ein Abschnitt der Greiferarme (161a-f, 162a-f) zwischen den Bändern (330, 332, 334, 336) des Hauptförderers (120) und unterhalb einer Förderfläche des Hauptförderers (120) hindurchgehen kann, und
    i) der Greifer (160) mindestens zwei gegenüberliegende Greiferarme (161a-f, 162a-f) umfasst;
    j) der Greifer (160) eine offene Position zum Freigeben eines Nahrungsmittelproduktes (150) und eine geschlossene Position zum Halten und Transportieren eines Nahrungsmittelproduktes (150) umfasst;
    k) die Greiferarme (161a-f, 162a-f) weiter voneinander entfernt sind, wenn sich der Greifer (160) in der geöffneten Position befindet als in der geschlossenen Position.
  2. System nach Anspruch 1, wobei die Greiferarme (161a-f, 162a-f) untere Stützen mit einem Abschnitt umfassen, der sich nach innen zu einer Mitte des Greifers (160) erstreckt und konfiguriert ist, um einen Boden eines Nahrungsmittelproduktes (150) zu stützen, wenn sich der Greifer (160) in einer geschlossenen Position befindet.
  3. System nach Anspruch 1, worin
    a) die Steuerung (180) Shuttle-Roboter-Positionsanweisungen aufweist, die während eines Befüllungszyklus mindestens eine Aufnahmeposition an einem Endabschnitt des sich kontinuierlich bewegenden Hauptförderers (120) entsprechend einer Position eines Nahrungsmittelprodukts (150), wie vom Sensor (420) gemeldet, und eine Vielzahl von Abwurfpositionen, die sich oberhalb der Vielzahl der jeweiligen oben offenen Behälter (131) in der Füllstation (110) befinden, umfassen; der Shuttle-Roboter (100) sich zu den Positionen bewegt, die durch die Positionsanweisungen der Steuerung (180) wiedergegeben werden, oder
    b) die Steuerung (180) Zyklusanweisungen zum Anweisen des Shuttle-Roboters (100) zum Befüllen aller oben offenen Behälter (131) in der Füllstation (110) während eines Befüllungszyklus aufweist.
  4. System nach Anspruch 1, ferner umfassend:
    a) ein drehbares Schneidmesser, eine Förderanordnung (30) und eine Halterung zum Halten eines Laibs in einem Schneidweg des drehbaren Schneidmessers, wobei das Schneidmesser so angeordnet ist, dass es sich in dem Schneidweg dreht, um Vorprodukte von dem Laib zu schneiden, wobei die Vorprodukte mehrere Scheiben sind, die in einem Stapel auf der Förderanordnung gebildet sind, wobei die Förderanordnung (30) einen Bereistellungs-Förderer beinhaltet, der die Stapel in Reihen bildet und die Reihen auf den Hauptransporter (120) transportiert, oder
    b) einen Patty-Former, wobei die Patty-Formungs-Maschine aufweist einen Maschinenrahmen, eine Formplatte mit mindestens einem Hohlraum und so montiert, dass sie in Längsrichtung in Bezug auf den Rahmen hin- und herbewegt werden kann, um den Hohlraum zwischen einer Füllposition und einer Patty-Auswurfposition zu positionieren, einen Zuführkanal für Nahrungsmittelprodukte zum Zuführen von Nahrungsmitteln in den Hohlraum, der Nahrungsmittelzufuhrkanal, der stationär in Bezug auf den Rahmen montiert ist und eine Füllöffnung in den Hohlraum aufweist, wenn sich die Formplatte in der Füllposition befindet, einen oder mehrere Ausstoßkolben zum Ausstoßen der gebildeten Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) von der Formplatte auf einen Ausgabeförderer, wenn sich die Formplatte in der Auswurfposition befindet, wobei der Ausgabeförderer stromaufwärts des Hauptförderers (120) liegt.
  5. System nach Anspruch 1, wobei die Steuerung (180) Bewegungsanweisungen aufweist, um den Shuttle-Roboter (100) anzuweisen, sich synchron mit einem Nahrungsmittelprodukt (150) auf dem sich kontinuierlich bewegenden Hauptförderer (120) zu bewegen und das Nahrungsmittelprodukt (150) zu greifen, während der Hauptförderer (120) in Bewegung ist, und um das Nahrungsmittelprodukt (150) vom Hauptförderer (120) abzuheben, während der Hauptförderer (120) in Bewegung ist; wobei sich der Shuttle-Roboter (100) auf einem Bewegungsweg bewegt, der durch die Bewegungsanweisung der Steuerung (180) wiedergegeben wird.
  6. System nach Anspruch 1, ferner umfassend:
    a) eine Versiegelungsstation (170) stromabwärts der Füllstation (110), wobei die Versiegelungsstation (170) konfiguriert ist, um eine Abdeckung auf die oben offenen Behälter (131) aufzubringen, oder
    b) eine Behälterbildestation (190) zum Bilden der oben offenen Behälter (131).
  7. System nach Anspruch 1, wobei die Steuerung (180) Anweisungen zum Anweisen des Shuttle-Roboters (100) zum Befüllen eines oder mehrerer oben offener Behälter (131) aus einer Gruppe von einlaufenden oben offenen Behältern (131) aufweist, während die einlaufende Gruppe von oben offenen Behältern (131) in die Füllstation (110) vorgeschoben wird, wobei sich der Shuttle-Roboter (100) in die durch die Positionsanweisungen der Steuerung (180) dargestellten Positionen bewegt.
  8. System nach Anspruch 1, ferner umfassend einen Fehlgewichtsförderer (220), wobei der Fehlgewichtsförderer (220) ein stromabwärtiges Ende, ein stromaufwärtiges Ende und einen Längsabschnitt umfasst; das stromabwärtige Ende ist an ein stromabwärtiges Ende des Hauptförderers (120) angrenzend, der Längsabschnitt verläuft stromaufwärts vom stromabwärtigen Ende des Fehlgewichtsförderers entlang des Hauptförderers (120), und das stromaufwärtige Ende des Fehlgewichtsförderers (220) kreuzt den Hauptförderer (120) und ist eine Korrekturstation auf einer dem Längsabschnitt gegenüberliegenden Seite des Hauptförderers (120).
  9. Verfahren zum Befüllen von oben offenen Behältern (131) mit Nahrungsmittelprodukten (150), umfassend die Schritte von:
    a) Greifen eines der Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) auf einem Hauptförderer (120) mit einem Greifer (160), der an einem Shuttle-Roboter (100) befestigt ist, wobei
    a1) der Greifer (160) mindestens zwei einander gegenüberliegende Greiferarme (161a-f, 162a-f) umfasst;
    a2) der Greifer (160) eine geöffnete Position zum Freigeben eines Nahrungsmittelprodukts (150) und eine geschlossene Position zum Halten und Transportieren eines Nahrungsmittelprodukts (150) umfasst;
    a3) die Greiferarme (161a-f, 162a-f) weiter voneinander entfernt sind, wenn sich der Greifer (160) in der geöffneten Position befindet als in der geschlossenen Position, und
    a4) wobei der Hauptförderer (120) die Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) in einer Längsrichtung bewegt;
    b) Bewegen der Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) zu einem oben offenen Behälter (131) in einer Füllstation (110) mit dem Shuttle-Roboter (100), wobei die Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) in Längsrichtung von dem Hauptförderer (120) zu der Füllstation (110) bewegt werden; und
    c) Freigeben der Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) mit einem Greifer (160) in die oben offenen Behälter (131);
    d) wobei der Schritt des Greifens die Schritte umfasst von:
    d1) Bereitstellen eines stromabwärts gelegenen Abschnitts des Hauptförderers (120) als Streifenförderer mit einer Vielzahl von Bändern (330, 332, 334, 336), wobei jedes Band (330, 332, 334, 336) durch einen Spalt (331, 333, 335) von benachbarten Bändern getrennt ist;
    d2) Bewegen eines Teils einer Vielzahl von Greifarmen (161a-f, 162a-f) des Greifers (160) zwischen den Bändern (330, 332, 334, 336) des Bandförderers und unterhalb einer Förderfläche des Hauptförderers (120);
    d3) Lokalisieren eines Nahrungsmittelprodukts (150) auf dem sich kontinuierlich bewegenden Hauptförderer (120) mit einem Sensor;
    d4) Greifen mindestens eines Nahrungsmittelprodukts (150) mit den Armen (161a-f, 162a-f) des Greifers (160); und
    d5) Anheben der Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) von dem Hauptförderer (120).
  10. Verfahren nach Anspruch 9, ferner umfassend den Schritt: vor dem Bewegungsschritt Bereitstellen einer Zykluszeit, während der sich eine Gruppe von oben offenen Behältern (131) innerhalb der Füllstation (110) befindet; und worin die Schritte des Greifens, Bewegens und Freigebens während der Zykluszeit wiederholt werden, bis eine vorgegebene Anzahl von oben offenen Behältern (131) mit Nahrungsmittelprodukten gefüllt ist.
  11. Verfahren nach Anspruch 9, wobei
    a) der Schritt des Greifens die Schritte umfasst: Bewegen des Shuttle-Roboters (100) synchron mit den Nahrungsmittelprodukten (150); oder
    b) die Schritte des Bewegens und Freigebens die Schritte umfasst:
    b1) Bewegen einer Gruppe der oben offenen Behälter (131) in die Füllstation (110);
    b2) während des Bewegens von oben offenen Behältern (131), Bewegen der Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) zu einem oben offenen Behälter (131) in der Füllstation (110) und
    b3) Freigeben der Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) in die oben offenen Behälter (131), oder
    c) Umgeben eines Nahrungsmittelprodukts (150) mit einer Vielzahl von Greifarmen (161a-f, 162a-f) des Shuttle-Roboters (100) und Greifen des Nahrungsmittelprodukts (150) durch Schließen der Greifarme (161a-f, 162a-f) um das Nahrungsmittelprodukt (150).
  12. Verfahren nach Anspruch 9,
    ferner umfassend die Schritte von:
    a) nach dem Schritt der Bewegung für eine vorbestimmte Verweildauer über dem oben offenen Behälter (131) verweilen, und
    b) Freigeben der Nahrungsmittelprodukte (150) in den oben offenen Behälter (131) während der Verweildauer.
  13. Verfahren nach Anspruch 9, ferner umfassend den Schritt von:
    a) während eines oder mehrerer Zyklen des Greifens, Bewegens und Freigebens, Bilden einer Gruppe von einem oder mehreren oben offenen Behältern (131) stromaufwärts von einer Gruppe von oben offenen Behältern (131) in der Füllstation (110), oder
    b) während eines oder mehrerer Zyklen des Greifens, Bewegens und Freigebens, Versiegeln des Oberteils einer Gruppe von einem oder mehreren oben offenen Behältern (131) stromabwärts von einer Gruppe von oben offenen Behältern (131) in der Füllstation (110).
  14. Verfahren nach Anspruch 10, wobei die Schritte des Greifens, Bewegens und Freigebens wiederholt werden, während jeder leere oder unvollständig gefüllte Behälter (131) fortschreitend gefüllt wird, beginnend mit dem Behälter (131), der am weitesten von der Greifposition entfernt ist, und endend mit dem Behälter (131), der der Greifposition am nächsten liegt.
EP11006933.3A 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur Handhabung von Lebensmittelprodukten Active EP2404829B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19190152.9A EP3597548A1 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur handhabung von lebensmittelprodukten

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US10878908P 2008-10-27 2008-10-27
US12/606,073 US8931240B2 (en) 2008-10-27 2009-10-26 Shuttle system and method for moving food products into packaging
PCT/US2009/062238 WO2010062609A1 (en) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 A food product handling system
EP09829594A EP2342132A4 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur handhabung von lebensmittelprodukten

Related Parent Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP09829594A Division EP2342132A4 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur handhabung von lebensmittelprodukten
EP09829594.2 Division 2009-10-27

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19190152.9A Division EP3597548A1 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur handhabung von lebensmittelprodukten

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2404829A2 EP2404829A2 (de) 2012-01-11
EP2404829A3 EP2404829A3 (de) 2013-02-20
EP2404829B1 true EP2404829B1 (de) 2019-08-28

Family

ID=42116151

Family Applications (4)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP13003671.8A Active EP2657138B1 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur Handhabung von Lebensmittelprodukten
EP19190152.9A Pending EP3597548A1 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur handhabung von lebensmittelprodukten
EP11006933.3A Active EP2404829B1 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur Handhabung von Lebensmittelprodukten
EP09829594A Withdrawn EP2342132A4 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur handhabung von lebensmittelprodukten

Family Applications Before (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP13003671.8A Active EP2657138B1 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur Handhabung von Lebensmittelprodukten
EP19190152.9A Pending EP3597548A1 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur handhabung von lebensmittelprodukten

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP09829594A Withdrawn EP2342132A4 (de) 2008-10-27 2009-10-27 System zur handhabung von lebensmittelprodukten

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (4) US8931240B2 (de)
EP (4) EP2657138B1 (de)
CA (1) CA2741626A1 (de)
DK (1) DK2404829T3 (de)
ES (2) ES2619307T3 (de)
WO (1) WO2010062609A1 (de)

Families Citing this family (63)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP5002763B2 (ja) * 2007-11-21 2012-08-15 セイコーインスツル株式会社 薄切片作製装置及び薄切片作製方法
US8931240B2 (en) * 2008-10-27 2015-01-13 Formax, Inc. Shuttle system and method for moving food products into packaging
DE102009060064A1 (de) * 2009-12-22 2011-06-30 Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach, 35236 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Erstellen von Produktportionen
DE102010034676A1 (de) * 2010-08-18 2012-02-23 Weber Maschinenbau Gmbh Breidenbach Fördern von Gegenständen
DE102010053872C5 (de) * 2010-12-09 2019-10-17 Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller Se & Co. Kg Verpackungsanlage mit Sortierstation
JP5852790B2 (ja) * 2011-04-05 2016-02-03 プリマハム株式会社 スライス食品位置合わせ装置
DE102011101101A1 (de) * 2011-05-10 2014-01-30 Bizerba Gmbh & Co Kg Schneidemaschine
DE102011103863A1 (de) * 2011-06-09 2012-12-13 Weber Maschinenbau Gmbh Breidenbach Verfahren zum Aufschneiden von Produkten
JP5477665B2 (ja) * 2011-09-20 2014-04-23 株式会社安川電機 ロボットシステム及び紐状体包装製品の製造方法
US9315338B2 (en) * 2012-01-18 2016-04-19 Douglas Machine Inc. Article metering apparatus, system and methods
ITPR20120039A1 (it) * 2012-06-20 2012-09-19 Gevis S R L Dispositivo e metodo di misura di un pezzo
US9889955B2 (en) * 2013-01-11 2018-02-13 Pouch Pac Innovations, Llc Apparatus and method for packaging flat products
DE102013205043A1 (de) * 2013-03-21 2014-09-25 Gea Food Solutions Germany Gmbh Linie ohne Kontrollwaage zwischen Aufschneide- und Verpackungsmaschine
CN107685480A (zh) * 2013-04-19 2018-02-13 Ipn Ip有限公司 用于组装和收集未填充的带嘴袋的系统和方法
DE102013006850A1 (de) * 2013-04-19 2014-10-23 Weber Maschinenbau Gmbh Breidenbach Greifereinheit zum Ergreifen von mehreren Lebensmittelportionen
TWI580541B (zh) * 2013-05-15 2017-05-01 台達電子工業股份有限公司 並聯式機器人及線性並聯式機構
DE102013216717A1 (de) * 2013-08-22 2015-02-26 Weber Maschinenbau Gmbh Breidenbach Vorrichtung zum Aufschneiden von Lebensmittelprodukten und Verfahren zum Bereitstellen von Zwischenblättern
ES2706153T3 (es) * 2013-10-30 2019-03-27 Gea Food Solutions Germany Gmbh Cuchilla con hoja fabricada de plástico
EP2902862A1 (de) 2014-01-30 2015-08-05 Omron Corporation Steuerungsvorrichtung und Verfahren zur Steuerung der Bewegung einer Maschine, Bewegungsprogramm und Aufzeichnungsmedium zur Speicherung davon
DE102014002530B4 (de) 2014-02-24 2017-12-28 Multitec Holdings Gmbh Fördereinrichtung zur Förderung von Lebensmittelprodukten
CA2949877C (fr) * 2014-06-06 2022-07-12 Gebo Cermex Canada Inc. Dispositif et procede d'intervention sur ligne de convoyage
DE102014118978A1 (de) * 2014-12-18 2016-06-23 Weber Maschinenbau Gmbh Breidenbach Fördervorrichtung mit Portionsübergabe
US11259531B2 (en) 2015-03-02 2022-03-01 Valka Ehf Apparatus for processing and grading food articles and related methods
US11357237B2 (en) 2015-03-02 2022-06-14 Valka Ehf Apparatus for processing and grading food articles and related methods
EP3264903A2 (de) * 2015-03-02 2018-01-10 Valka Ehf Vorrichtung zur verarbeitung und einstufung von lebensmittelartikeln und zugehörige verfahren
US10076815B2 (en) 2015-04-07 2018-09-18 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Parts supply apparatus, parts supply method and robot system
ITMI20150573A1 (it) * 2015-04-21 2016-10-21 Ima Spa Dispositivo e metodo di trasferimento contenitori
US9962849B2 (en) 2015-05-07 2018-05-08 Eric J Wangler Washable stacker apparatus with self-tensioning feature for use with a food slicing machine
US9770840B2 (en) * 2015-05-07 2017-09-26 Eric J Wangler Washable stacker apparatus with self-tensioning feature for use with a food slicing machine
CN112849485B (zh) * 2015-08-14 2022-09-20 洲际大品牌有限责任公司 一种包装食物产品的方法
US9926139B2 (en) 2015-09-03 2018-03-27 F.R. Drake Company Launching system for robotic sausage loading machine
US11383863B2 (en) 2015-09-04 2022-07-12 Douglas Machine Inc. Robotic article handling system and operations
CN105537132B (zh) * 2015-11-29 2017-08-08 湖南皇爷食品有限公司 槟榔自动选切籽一体机电气控制系统
CN105691761B (zh) * 2016-03-13 2017-06-30 冯贵良 一种小型农产品自动分拣装箱的方法及其装置
DE102016214162A1 (de) 2016-08-01 2018-02-01 Krones Aktiengesellschaft Verfahren zum Verteilen einer Vielzahl an Artikeln eines Massenstromes an mehrere Gassen und Vorrichtung zum Umgang mit einer Vielzahl an Artikeln eines Massenstromes
IT201600110158A1 (it) * 2016-11-02 2018-05-02 Grasselli S P A Macchina per la deposizione di alimenti affettati in contenitori
JP2018087729A (ja) * 2016-11-29 2018-06-07 株式会社オーエム機械 センサレス製箱ライン
US10576507B2 (en) * 2016-12-07 2020-03-03 Kindred Systems Inc. Systems, devices, articles and methods for the partition of items
CN107065641A (zh) * 2017-01-03 2017-08-18 合肥旋极智能科技有限公司 一种基于物联网的食品生产系统
DE102017105919A1 (de) 2017-03-20 2018-09-20 Weber Maschinenbau Gmbh Breidenbach Verarbeitung von Lebensmittelprodukten
IT201800004908A1 (it) * 2018-04-27 2019-10-27 Apparato di trasporto e macchina comprendente tale apparato
US10499662B1 (en) * 2018-07-20 2019-12-10 Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. Extruded product position control of ice cream products
CN110356835A (zh) * 2018-08-14 2019-10-22 天津京东深拓机器人科技有限公司 包裹分配系统
CN110893999A (zh) * 2018-09-12 2020-03-20 泰科电子(上海)有限公司 图像采集系统和图像采集方法
US10653154B2 (en) * 2018-10-08 2020-05-19 Kronos Foods Corp. Horizontal char slicer, system and method
JP2020066441A (ja) * 2018-10-23 2020-04-30 匠技研株式会社 スライス食品生産システム
CN109533412B (zh) * 2018-11-28 2020-07-31 安徽省徽腾智能交通科技有限公司 一种食品包装设备
CN109353591B (zh) * 2018-11-28 2020-09-25 安徽省徽腾智能交通科技有限公司 一种食品包装设备的工作方法
US10583996B1 (en) 2019-01-17 2020-03-10 JLS Automation Bread handler
US11479419B2 (en) 2019-02-05 2022-10-25 F.R. Drake Company Automated machine for unloading and transferring cut and trimmed poultry meat pieces
DE102019206281A1 (de) * 2019-05-02 2020-11-05 Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller Se & Co. Kg Verpackungsmaschine zum Verpacken von Produkten in Verpackungen und ein Verfahren zum Verpacken von Produkten
GB201906418D0 (en) 2019-05-07 2019-06-19 Valka Ehf Conveyor system and method
CA3079321A1 (en) * 2019-05-20 2020-11-20 Packaging Progressions, Inc. Value added substrate interleaving system
WO2021045921A1 (en) * 2019-09-03 2021-03-11 Packaging Progressions, Inc. Diverting-folding conveyor system
CN111003287B (zh) * 2019-12-26 2021-12-07 中食安泓(广东)健康产业有限公司 一种食品加工用封装设备
US11485533B1 (en) * 2020-05-21 2022-11-01 Amazon Technologies, Inc. Vacuum-assisted item bundling system
US11452297B2 (en) * 2020-06-25 2022-09-27 Tracy Brian Hare Robot gripper
IT202000016678A1 (it) * 2020-07-09 2022-01-09 Gd Spa Dispositivo e procedimento di confezionamento di articoli da confezionare
JP7137865B2 (ja) * 2020-11-30 2022-09-15 匠技研株式会社 スライス食品搬送装置
CA3223682A1 (en) * 2021-07-08 2023-01-12 Nathaniel J. Birkhofer System and method for smart manufacturing
WO2024110175A1 (de) * 2022-11-21 2024-05-30 Gea Food Solutions Germany Gmbh System zum verarbeiten von lebensmittelportionen und verfahren zum betrieb eines solchen systems
WO2024116217A1 (en) * 2022-12-02 2024-06-06 Errelle S.R.L. Handling assembly, method and apparatus for packaging articles
CN117246713B (zh) * 2023-11-15 2024-03-26 立臻精密智造(昆山)有限公司 保压设备和保压方法

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1484141A1 (de) * 2003-06-04 2004-12-08 imt robot AG Vorrichtung zum maschinellen Manipulieren von Objekten
WO2007093774A1 (en) * 2006-02-15 2007-08-23 Aew Delford Systems Limited Improved pick and place handling device
EP1935788A1 (de) * 2006-12-21 2008-06-25 Francisco Monente Plösser Mittel zur Beförderung von Nahrungsmitteln in Maschinen

Family Cites Families (122)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1118587A (en) 1965-07-12 1968-07-03 Ajem Lab Inc Article transfer apparatus
US3812647A (en) 1972-11-29 1974-05-28 Pillsbury Co Apparatus for stacking and packaging food products
GB1517511A (en) 1974-07-19 1978-07-12 Metal Box Co Ltd Conveyor handling apparatus
US3952478A (en) * 1974-10-10 1976-04-27 Formax, Inc. Vacuum sheet applicator
US4054967A (en) * 1975-10-20 1977-10-25 Formax, Inc. Food patty molding machine
US4026421A (en) * 1976-06-21 1977-05-31 Walter Edward Lotz Meat slice stacking apparatus
US4136504A (en) * 1976-09-10 1979-01-30 Ihor Wyslotsky Slicing method
CH608224A5 (de) 1977-03-16 1978-12-29 Sapal Plieuses Automatiques
DE2728717C2 (de) * 1977-06-25 1983-11-10 Pfister Gmbh, 8900 Augsburg Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur berührungsfreien Bestimmung von Qualitätsmerkmalen eines Prüfobjektes der Fleischwaren-Kategorie, insbesondere eines Schlachttierkörpers oder Teilen davon
US4182003A (en) * 1978-02-28 1980-01-08 Formax, Inc. Food patty molding machine
US4274551A (en) 1978-06-14 1981-06-23 Hicks Kevin Joseph Dispensing apparatus having continuously driven conveyor
US4329828A (en) * 1979-10-22 1982-05-18 Hollymatic Corporation Molding apparatus with sheet applicator
DE3047490A1 (de) * 1980-12-17 1982-10-21 Pfister Gmbh, 8900 Augsburg Verfahren zur beruehrungsfreien bestimmung von qualitaetsmerkmalen eines pruefobjektes der fleischwaren-kategorie
US4416103A (en) 1981-02-06 1983-11-22 Gerald Ewer Apparatus for loading sliced and bulk food products
US4570783A (en) 1983-08-17 1986-02-18 Newcom William F Method for automatic operation of an accumulator
JPS60178122A (ja) * 1984-02-23 1985-09-12 Okura Yusoki Co Ltd パレツト荷積み装置
DE3424233A1 (de) 1984-06-30 1986-01-23 Alfons Dipl.-Ing. 5208 Eitorf Güldenring Verfahren und vorrichtung zum befuellen von kartons
JPS61293784A (ja) * 1985-06-24 1986-12-24 ファナック株式会社 産業用ロボツト
CH672089A5 (de) * 1985-12-16 1989-10-31 Sogeva Sa
US4718536A (en) 1986-10-15 1988-01-12 Toby Enterprises Stack storage elevator for sliced, stacked comestible products
DE3711688A1 (de) 1987-04-07 1988-10-27 Fritz Haerle Verpackungsanlage fuer lebensmittel
DE3733945A1 (de) 1987-10-07 1989-04-20 Guenther Weber Verfahren zum transport von geschnittenen produkten von einer schneidemaschine zu einer weiterverarbeitungsstelle
JPH01267136A (ja) 1988-04-07 1989-10-25 Fuji Mach Co Ltd 包装機の空袋防止制御装置
US5209339A (en) 1988-04-28 1993-05-11 Thurne Engineering Co., Ltd. Conveyor system for multiplying slices of product
IT1219311B (it) 1988-05-18 1990-05-03 Cavanna Spa Dispositivo per la formazione di gruppi di articoli particolarmente per linee di confezionamento automatico
DK160903C (da) * 1988-06-23 1997-04-07 Lumetech As Fremgangsmåde til lokalisering af uønskede forekomster i et stykke fiskekød ved belysning
US4894976A (en) 1988-08-25 1990-01-23 Amca International Corporation Missing card circuit for a slicing machine
EP0375049B1 (de) 1988-12-21 1994-03-02 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Verfahren zum Ablegen von Produkten, insbesondere elektrischen und/oder elektronischen Bauelementen in einem Ablagefächer aufweisenden Verpackungsstreifen, sowie Vorrichtung zum Durchführen des Verfahrens
IT1232004B (it) 1989-03-02 1992-01-22 Hitech Systems Srl Apparecchiatura di raggruppamento e sincronizzazione di oggetti per macchine confezionatrici o inscatolatrici
DE3929980A1 (de) 1989-09-08 1991-03-21 Schmermund Maschf Alfred Vorrichtung zum foerdern von quaderfoermigen gegenstaenden
IT1238798B (it) 1989-10-13 1993-09-03 Stream Srl Apparecchiatura per avvicinare tra loro, ad una distanza prefissata, prodotti che avanzano lungo un nastro trasportatore.
US5041907A (en) * 1990-01-29 1991-08-20 Technistar Corporation Automated assembly and packaging system
US5040056A (en) * 1990-01-29 1991-08-13 Technistar Corporation Automated system for locating and transferring objects on a conveyor belt
GB9006804D0 (en) * 1990-03-27 1990-05-23 Thurne Eng Co Ltd Slicing machine
DE4013687C2 (de) 1990-04-28 1994-12-22 Natec Reich Summer Gmbh Co Kg Förderanlage für Packungen mit integriertem Pufferspeicher
US5095684A (en) 1990-10-31 1992-03-17 Food Machinery Sales, Inc. On edge cookie loader
JP2933290B2 (ja) 1991-03-20 1999-08-09 株式会社川島製作所 二つの製品配列処理ラインの製品移送処理方法
DE4203118C2 (de) 1991-11-07 2003-06-12 Windmoeller & Hoelscher Vorrichtung zum Ergreifen und Transportieren von Stapeln flacher Gegenstände
IT1259535B (it) 1992-04-09 1996-03-20 Cavanna Spa Dispositivo per integrare articoli mancanti in un flusso di articoli in confezionamento
GB9307460D0 (en) 1993-04-08 1993-06-02 Thurne Eng Co Ltd Packaging line
IT1266324B1 (it) * 1993-05-04 1996-12-27 Azionaria Costruzioni Acma Spa Dispositivo convogliatore per pluralita' di articoli.
US5403056A (en) * 1993-06-30 1995-04-04 Planet Products Corporation Robotic hand for transferring articles
US5458055A (en) 1993-11-18 1995-10-17 Fitch, Jr.; Clifford E. Method and apparatus for portioning food
US5528878A (en) 1994-06-10 1996-06-25 Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, Inc. Automated apparatus and method for consolidating products for packaging
US5607642A (en) 1994-06-10 1997-03-04 Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, Inc. Interactive control system for packaging control of contact lenses
US5829222A (en) * 1994-06-10 1998-11-03 Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, Inc. Automated apparatus and method for consolidating products for packaging
US5480278A (en) 1994-08-17 1996-01-02 Mbt Corporation Automatic stacker apparatus and method
US5720593A (en) 1994-09-19 1998-02-24 Arr-Tech Manufacturing, Inc. Apparatus and method of counting, inspecting and stacking planar food products
CA2154337C (en) 1994-10-11 2005-07-05 Scott A. Lindee Food loaf slicing machines
US5649463A (en) * 1994-10-11 1997-07-22 Formax, Inc. Slicing station for a food loaf slicing machine
US5566600A (en) * 1994-10-11 1996-10-22 Formax, Inc. Conveyor/classifier system for versatile hi-speed food loaf slicing machine
US5628237A (en) * 1994-10-11 1997-05-13 Formax, Inc. Slicing machine for two or more food loaves
US5974925A (en) * 1994-10-11 1999-11-02 Formax, Inc. Continuous feed for food loaf slicing machine
US5860504A (en) * 1994-11-16 1999-01-19 Lockheed Martin Corporation Transfer buffer and inserter and method
US5499719A (en) * 1995-02-13 1996-03-19 Formax, Inc. Takeaway/correction conveyor system for food product machine
SE515119C2 (sv) * 1995-03-30 2001-06-11 Abb Ab Industrirobot
AU714510B2 (en) 1995-05-01 2000-01-06 Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, Inc. Automated apparatus and method for consolidating products for packaging
US5675963A (en) * 1995-08-31 1997-10-14 Klockner Bartelt, Inc. Mechanism for accumulating a stack of articles and for then dropping the stack
JP3335517B2 (ja) * 1995-12-25 2002-10-21 ワイケイケイ株式会社 物品整送装置
DE19617014C2 (de) * 1996-04-27 1998-04-09 Uhlmann Pac Systeme Gmbh & Co Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Nachfüllen von Füllgut in Näpfe einer Folienbahn
FR2754239A1 (fr) 1996-10-08 1998-04-10 Euresko Dispositif alimentaire pour chaine de conditionnement d'assortiment d'articles et chaine mettant en oeuvre un tel dispositif
US5810149A (en) * 1996-11-26 1998-09-22 Formax, Inc. Conveyor system
DE19651717A1 (de) 1996-12-12 1998-06-18 Schubert Gerhard Gmbh Produktscanner
DE29701564U1 (de) * 1997-01-30 1997-03-27 Gerhard Schubert GmbH, 74564 Crailsheim Pickerstraße mit entgegengesetztem Traytransport
US5752366A (en) 1997-05-01 1998-05-19 Kraft Foods, Inc. Automatic placer with velocity component dampening
DE29713690U1 (de) 1997-08-01 1998-12-03 Dixie-Union GmbH & Co. KG, 87437 Kempten Vorrichtung für das Umsetzen von aufgeschnittenen Lebensmitteln
US6484615B2 (en) 1997-08-15 2002-11-26 Formax, Inc. Slicing blade for concurrently slicing a plurality of product loaves disposed in a side-by-side relationship
JP3240466B2 (ja) 1997-10-31 2001-12-17 株式会社フジキカイ 包装機等の処理機械への物品供給装置
DE19752908A1 (de) * 1997-11-28 1999-06-02 Peter Nagler Verfahren zur automatisierten Gruppierung von Objekten
DE19820537C2 (de) * 1998-05-08 2000-08-10 Rudolf Kerler Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Verpacken und Sortieren von länglichen Gegenständen
EP1089630B1 (de) 1998-06-05 2008-06-25 Formax, Inc. Maschine zur herstellung von nahrungsmittelprodukten
SE513329C2 (sv) * 1998-11-12 2000-08-28 Abb Ab Manipulator samt förfaranden vid framställning och igångsättning av en manipulator
US7188544B2 (en) * 1998-12-03 2007-03-13 Abb Ab Industrial robot
US6227376B1 (en) 1999-05-07 2001-05-08 Hormel Foods, Llc Two-directional reject and make-up conveyor system
CA2384349C (en) 1999-09-10 2008-10-14 Scanvaegt International A/S A grader apparatus
JP2001189363A (ja) 2000-01-04 2001-07-10 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 半導体装置製造設備およびその制御方法
US6688451B2 (en) * 2000-04-05 2004-02-10 Stephen J. Derby Multi-head robot system and method of use
DE20022271U1 (de) 2000-04-28 2001-07-19 Thiele Matthias Automatische Befüllstation
CA2347572C (en) 2000-05-31 2009-10-20 Sig Pack Systems Ag Method and apparatus for forming item groups
JP2002192486A (ja) * 2000-12-25 2002-07-10 Seiko Epson Corp ロボット制御方法及び該方法を適用したロボットコントローラ
US7278344B2 (en) * 2001-04-27 2007-10-09 Formax, Inc. Shear mechanism for a slicing machine
US6711880B2 (en) * 2001-05-23 2004-03-30 Sig Pack Systems Ag Apparatus for, and method of, feeding piece goods to a tubular-bag packaging station
US6516935B1 (en) 2001-10-11 2003-02-11 Valiant Machine & Tool Inc. System for selectively storing and reintroducing parts into an industrial assembly line
ITBO20020065A1 (it) 2002-02-06 2003-08-06 Azionaria Costruzioni Automati Unita' e metodo di riordino di prodotti dolciari , quali caramelle e simili
DE20203818U1 (de) * 2002-03-08 2002-05-16 Thom Metall Und Maschb Gmbh Greifer für einen Roboter zum Greifen von druckempfindlichen Gegenständen und Greifer-Transport- und Ablegesystem für druckempfindliche Gegenstände
US6739445B2 (en) 2002-03-26 2004-05-25 Casa Herrera, Inc. Multi-conveyor system
DE50304180D1 (de) 2002-04-02 2006-08-24 Bosch Gmbh Robert Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Einfüllen von Stückgütern in Behälter
DE10216174A1 (de) * 2002-04-12 2003-10-30 Imt Robot Ag Verfahren zur automatisierten Gruppierung von Objekten
GB0212985D0 (en) * 2002-06-06 2002-07-17 Ishida Europ Mfg Ltd Article handling
DE20209440U1 (de) * 2002-06-13 2002-08-29 Sig Technology Ltd Vorrichtung zum Bewegen und Positionieren eines Gegenstandes im Raum
US6997089B2 (en) * 2002-06-25 2006-02-14 Formax, Inc. Optical grading system for slicer apparatus
GB2390591B (en) 2002-07-13 2006-04-12 Ckf Systems Ltd Apparatus for forming a row
US6935215B2 (en) * 2002-08-14 2005-08-30 Formax, Inc. Slicing machine and conveyor system with automatic product width compensation
US7065936B2 (en) * 2002-12-18 2006-06-27 Formax, Inc. Fill and packaging apparatus
US20040118085A1 (en) 2002-12-20 2004-06-24 Williams Roger S. Apparatus for and method of transporting and stacking groups of flat articles and moving the group stacks to another location
US7639419B2 (en) 2003-02-21 2009-12-29 Kla-Tencor Technologies, Inc. Inspection system using small catadioptric objective
US7309228B2 (en) * 2003-09-16 2007-12-18 Formax, Inc. Hydraulic pump system for a patty-forming apparatus
DK1663604T3 (da) 2003-09-16 2013-07-29 Formax Inc Krebinetdannende apparat
JP2005111647A (ja) 2003-10-05 2005-04-28 Hiroshi Gomae 位置検出スイッチを組み込んだ真空吸着搬送システム
JP2005111607A (ja) * 2003-10-07 2005-04-28 Fanuc Ltd ロボット物流トラッキング装置
EP1685045B2 (de) 2003-10-28 2014-12-03 AEW Delford Systems Limited Aufnahme- und absetzgreifer
NO321277B1 (no) 2004-04-21 2006-04-18 Sinvent As Anordning og fremgangsmate for a gripe penetrerbare objekter
ATE386696T1 (de) 2004-05-21 2008-03-15 Kht Kommissionier & Handhabung Verfahren und vorrichtung zur automatisierten einlagerung von waren
GB2415944A (en) 2004-07-03 2006-01-11 Koorosh Khodabandehloo Apparatus fro moving products using camera and flat gripper
ITBO20040494A1 (it) 2004-08-03 2004-11-03 Gd Spa Unita' di convogliamento di prodotti
EP1786683B1 (de) * 2004-08-20 2011-10-12 Formax, Inc. Abfüllvorrichtung für nahrungsmittelstapel
BRPI0518046A (pt) 2004-12-10 2008-10-28 Scanvaegt Int As método de formação de lotes de objetos, e sistema para formação de lotes de objetos
JP4864363B2 (ja) * 2005-07-07 2012-02-01 東芝機械株式会社 ハンドリング装置、作業装置及びプログラム
US7411137B2 (en) * 2005-10-25 2008-08-12 Formax, Inc. Automatic sealing arrangement for weigh scale for food processing apparatus
CA2627373C (en) 2005-10-25 2014-04-29 Formax, Inc. Sheet interleaver for slicing apparatus
IS2320B (is) * 2006-01-23 2007-11-15 Valka Ehf. Tæki til flokkunar á hlutum
IS8494A (is) 2006-05-31 2008-12-02 Valka Ehf Griparmur á pjark fyrir matvaeli
ITBO20060611A1 (it) 2006-08-17 2006-11-16 Gd Spa Metodo ed unita di alimentazione di prodotti ad una unita di raggruppamento
JP4940837B2 (ja) 2006-09-04 2012-05-30 井関農機株式会社 選果施設
US7717255B2 (en) * 2006-10-27 2010-05-18 Pearson Packaging Systems End of arm tool, apparatus, and method of engaging an article
DE102006061571A1 (de) 2006-12-27 2008-07-03 Robert Bosch Gmbh Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Umsetzen von Stückgütern
WO2008093364A1 (en) 2007-01-31 2008-08-07 Marel Food Systems Hf. Batch creation
DE102007028680A1 (de) 2007-06-21 2008-12-24 Elau Elektronik-Automations-Ag Gruppierungsstation
DE102007039850B4 (de) 2007-08-23 2016-09-15 Khs Gmbh Packerkopf
US8250955B2 (en) 2007-10-22 2012-08-28 Formax, Inc. Food article transfer mechanism for a food article slicing machine
US8931240B2 (en) 2008-10-27 2015-01-13 Formax, Inc. Shuttle system and method for moving food products into packaging
US10049744B2 (en) 2016-01-08 2018-08-14 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor memory devices and methods of manufacturing the same

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1484141A1 (de) * 2003-06-04 2004-12-08 imt robot AG Vorrichtung zum maschinellen Manipulieren von Objekten
WO2007093774A1 (en) * 2006-02-15 2007-08-23 Aew Delford Systems Limited Improved pick and place handling device
EP1935788A1 (de) * 2006-12-21 2008-06-25 Francisco Monente Plösser Mittel zur Beförderung von Nahrungsmitteln in Maschinen

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES2619307T3 (es) 2017-06-26
EP2404829A2 (de) 2012-01-11
EP3597548A1 (de) 2020-01-22
EP2657138A3 (de) 2013-12-11
US9181039B2 (en) 2015-11-10
EP2657138B1 (de) 2016-12-21
DK2404829T3 (da) 2019-11-25
EP2342132A1 (de) 2011-07-13
US20100101191A1 (en) 2010-04-29
EP2342132A4 (de) 2012-09-26
US20100107836A1 (en) 2010-05-06
US8627941B2 (en) 2014-01-14
US8931240B2 (en) 2015-01-13
US8322537B2 (en) 2012-12-04
ES2755774T3 (es) 2020-04-23
US20100107835A1 (en) 2010-05-06
CA2741626A1 (en) 2010-06-03
EP2404829A3 (de) 2013-02-20
WO2010062609A1 (en) 2010-06-03
EP2657138A2 (de) 2013-10-30
US20140090956A1 (en) 2014-04-03

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP2404829B1 (de) System zur Handhabung von Lebensmittelprodukten
DK2348870T3 (en) Process for processing fish and fish processing plants
US7937913B2 (en) Device for consolidating items into a single unit of a pre-defined total weight
US20230144765A1 (en) Conveyor device for conveying food products
US5165218A (en) Automatic sorting, stacking and packaging apparatus and method
US20190000094A1 (en) Apparatus for processing and grading food articles and related methods
US20080006132A1 (en) Reload method for slicing machine
EP1935788A1 (de) Mittel zur Beförderung von Nahrungsmitteln in Maschinen
US20240165844A1 (en) Food-processing device and associated operating method
CN212862944U (zh) 用于处理以至少两个平行排运动的件货的设备
EP0380142B1 (de) Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Behandeln eines Stapels
WO2021044053A1 (en) A method and an apparatus for filling containers with food items
WO2005123513A1 (en) An apparatus and method for organizing items, in particular food items
JP7386322B2 (ja) 食品ポーションの選別、バッチング、及び選択的移送のための装置及び方法
WO1984001762A1 (en) A method and a machine for packing sliced products in a container to be vacuum sealed
WO2024012979A1 (en) Method and apparatus for portion cutting of meat items
De Silva et al. Automation and Optimization of the Can-Filling Process of Fish
WO1999062648A1 (en) Automatic loader for food processing machines

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AC Divisional application: reference to earlier application

Ref document number: 2342132

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: P

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA RS

PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: B65B 25/06 20060101AFI20120907BHEP

Ipc: B25J 9/00 20060101ALN20120907BHEP

Ipc: B25J 17/02 20060101ALN20120907BHEP

Ipc: B65B 57/14 20060101ALI20120907BHEP

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA RS

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: B25J 9/00 20060101ALN20130111BHEP

Ipc: B25J 17/02 20060101ALN20130111BHEP

Ipc: B65B 57/14 20060101ALI20130111BHEP

Ipc: B65B 25/06 20060101AFI20130111BHEP

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20130719

RBV Designated contracting states (corrected)

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 20130916

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: EXAMINATION IS IN PROGRESS

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: B25J 9/00 20060101ALN20180430BHEP

Ipc: B25J 17/02 20060101ALN20180430BHEP

Ipc: B65B 25/06 20060101AFI20180430BHEP

Ipc: B65B 57/14 20060101ALI20180430BHEP

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: B25J 9/00 20060101ALN20181221BHEP

Ipc: B65B 57/14 20060101ALI20181221BHEP

Ipc: B25J 17/02 20060101ALN20181221BHEP

Ipc: B65B 25/06 20060101AFI20181221BHEP

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: B65B 57/14 20060101ALI20190110BHEP

Ipc: B65B 25/06 20060101AFI20190110BHEP

Ipc: B25J 9/00 20060101ALN20190110BHEP

Ipc: B25J 17/02 20060101ALN20190110BHEP

GRAP Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: GRANT OF PATENT IS INTENDED

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: B65B 25/06 20060101AFI20190307BHEP

Ipc: B25J 17/02 20060101ALN20190307BHEP

Ipc: B25J 9/00 20060101ALN20190307BHEP

Ipc: B65B 57/14 20060101ALI20190307BHEP

INTG Intention to grant announced

Effective date: 20190321

GRAS Grant fee paid

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE PATENT HAS BEEN GRANTED

AC Divisional application: reference to earlier application

Ref document number: 2342132

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: P

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: FG4D

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: EP

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R096

Ref document number: 602009059661

Country of ref document: DE

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: AT

Ref legal event code: REF

Ref document number: 1172113

Country of ref document: AT

Kind code of ref document: T

Effective date: 20190915

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: IE

Ref legal event code: FG4D

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: NL

Ref legal event code: FP

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DK

Ref legal event code: T3

Effective date: 20191118

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: LT

Ref legal event code: MG4D

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: PT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20191230

Ref country code: LT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: BG

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20191128

Ref country code: NO

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20191128

Ref country code: HR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: SE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20191129

Ref country code: IS

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20191228

Ref country code: LV

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: AT

Ref legal event code: MK05

Ref document number: 1172113

Country of ref document: AT

Kind code of ref document: T

Effective date: 20190828

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: TR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: ES

Ref legal event code: FG2A

Ref document number: 2755774

Country of ref document: ES

Kind code of ref document: T3

Effective date: 20200423

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: PL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: EE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: AT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: RO

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: SK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: CZ

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: MC

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: IS

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20200224

Ref country code: SM

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: PL

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R097

Ref document number: 602009059661

Country of ref document: DE

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

PG2D Information on lapse in contracting state deleted

Ref country code: IS

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: LI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20191031

Ref country code: LU

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20191027

Ref country code: CH

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20191031

26N No opposition filed

Effective date: 20200603

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: BE

Ref legal event code: MM

Effective date: 20191031

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: SI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

Ref country code: BE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20191031

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20191027

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: CY

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: HU

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT; INVALID AB INITIO

Effective date: 20091027

Ref country code: MT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: MK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20190828

P01 Opt-out of the competence of the unified patent court (upc) registered

Effective date: 20230425

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Payment date: 20231026

Year of fee payment: 15

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20231027

Year of fee payment: 15

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: ES

Payment date: 20231102

Year of fee payment: 15

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Payment date: 20231023

Year of fee payment: 15

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 20231025

Year of fee payment: 15

Ref country code: DK

Payment date: 20231027

Year of fee payment: 15

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20231027

Year of fee payment: 15